Eufaula police defend crossing guard after harsh criticism on Facebook

The Eufaula Police Department posted a statement on Facebook responding to a thread of comments disparaging a crossing guard that was forwarded to the department Tuesday morning.

The comments criticized an unspecified crossing guard for being “rude and mad at the world.” The names of the commenters were redacted by the department.

“If you would like to see the worst crossing guard in America, I can point you in the right direction,” one commenter said. Another replied, saying that last year they wanted to “run one over.”

“It is disheartening that someone would even mention “running over” a police officer, but we are used to rude and childish remarks and will handle any incidences of the like on a case by case basis,” the response from the Eufaula Police Department reads.

“The Crossing Guards employed by the Eufaula Police Department have one mission and one mission only; to ensure the safety of our children. We ask that they be courteous, but safety is paramount to courtesy.”

The post says that the department will try to “shed some light on their concerns,” but that it would be hard to do so as “no precise reason for their dissatisfaction was mentioned.”

The statement mentions that there are still two job openings for crossing guards in Eufaula.

“The requirements are to stand on asphalt in 104 degree heat or 18 degree cold for 10 hours a week at minimum wage and protect our children. Stand in an intersection with drivers distracted by phones, work, or food and cursing you because you do not direct traffic the way they want you to.”

The post says that any specific complaints about crossing guards can be reported directly to the police department.

This story was originally published August 15, 2017 at 1:58 PM with the headline "Eufaula police defend crossing guard after harsh criticism on Facebook."